Why CFE and not CFR

At the University of Tennessee, our approach to working with industry and foundation partners is simple. The Office of Corporate & Foundation Engagement has taken a holistic approach to establishing partnerships so we can engage our partners at multiple levels to help meet their needs. Understanding that corporations and foundations no longer consider themselves ‘donors’ to academia but instead ‘investors’, UT has shifted focus to become a one-stop concierge service. We engage our partners for long-term solutions, rather than focusing on short-term relationships. We deliver multidimensional resources and assets such as research, student recruitment, tech transfer, philanthropic gifting, training & executive education among others. This approach presents a distinct competitive advantage in a world where the solutions to many global challenges lie at the intersection of research, innovation, technology and economic development. The Corporate & Foundation Engagement team goes beyond the traditional university models targeted toward one-way relationships. We bring a more comprehensive checklist of engagement strategies that maximizes investment and develops enterprise-level, long-term partnerships.